Sintebing machine



Ot. 13, 1931. w. c. KINNON f 1,826,792

` SINTERING MACHINE Filed July l2, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 13, 1931. w. c. K|NNoN 4SINTERING MACHINE Filed July l2, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .n gva/vento@ Oct. 13, 1931. w. c. KlNNoN SINTERING MACHINE I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 12, 1950 Patented Oct. 13, 1931 g raamt;

, `WinnrAMy Y c. xmnon, or" DENyER ,(mommoA ..1

SINTERIITG ivrncniiniziL y VrApplication med July 12,

l l Thisinvention relates to a sintering machine,more particularly of the typefor pre-.-

. paring ore concentrates, such as sulphides,

- for smelting operations, butadaptable for use in any'sinte'ring process.-4

Th'e vprincipal'object of the invention is to i provide a sintering machine vwhich will handlea continuous feed and constantly deliver" completely sinteredmaterial.

10; vAnother object of the invention is to so conwhich pass through the `grates will' Vbe collected-.and continuously advanced to a disf charge` point by the same motion employed.y

15 'for advancing the sintered material.

vAnother object ofthe invention is lto ein-,-

ploy -an intermittent advancing motion,l so that the sinter cake will remain atV rest for continuous periods of short'intervals.l Thurs' .22o insuring a morecomplete oxidation and sintering ofthe advancingbed'.

i Still another object 4of the inventionis tol provide a machinejof this Ifcharacter 'which Will continuously advance a bed of sinter cake V:25 Without the use of conveyors, Scrapers, or` other meanswhich m1ght become naked,

A further object of the invention is to so construct Vvthe machine that the thickness'of 3o the bed and the speed'of advancement of thesinter cake may -be'minutely adjusted to the characteristicsA of vraw variable conditions.l

A still further object of the invention tok i provide an ignition device which will uni-v. formly ignite the traveling bed throughoutA its entire` width so thatthematerial willrapidly and uniformly oXidiZeand to so construct'the ignitingfportion ofthe device :that

l:l0-it may be vertically adjusted to obtainrthe structthe machine that the fines and dustv material, and. other `1930. serial No. 467,404* f Lilie refer toililze parts in all views.`

p f the drawings 4and throughout the descripion. L

In the drawings: i

form ofgthe invention partially broken'zawa'y` f` to illustrate the interior construction. `v y f i Fig.V rv2 is avertical cross section therethrough taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1. e

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, horizontal crossfsec- 60 f tiony through the ignitertaken on the line 3-3,l4`ig.1.l f- 4 is af fragmentary detail perspective view of thegratebars employed in the invention. 65 :The invention comprises an open topped f box 1'() of sheetr metal. The boX 10 is stifened aboutitsopen top by means of a channel-iron j frame 11. Adjacent the discharge eXtrem-vr ity, the bottom of the boX 10 is provided with .70 y Y a collecting'chamber 15 from which the con-j tents'mayzbe discharged through agate 16. jA series of parallel, spaced-apart, horizontal, grate bars'12 is placedwithin the box 10.' Y

The fgrate bars 12 may be supported vin the ,75V i i boxlO in any desired manner such as'upon an angle shelf-13 ateach side ,thereovf. TheA grate bars 12 are preferably designed as illustrated in'Fig 4 with relatively broad tops u and' yrelatively narrow bottoms andwvith 80 spacerlugs 111' cast upon their extremities to properly align and separate them lin the ser1es.if 1 I u Each grate bar 12' is positionedl slightly lowerthanits preceding bar so that. the entire series'gforms a stepped, inclined plane .within the'boX 10 for thesupport of the ma- .terial bed or sinter cake. The portion of the Y box' 10 above the grate barsv12is linedy with 90V heat resisting material Yas shownat f 'The entire lbox 10 is flexiblysuspended from- Y concrete piers 17l or other' suitable supports. As illustrated channel ironcaps 18 are placed uponthe piers 17 over a not'ch'formed therein; 95 Straps 19`of fexiblematerial, such` as webhing, nfietallicl leaves, or the like, depend yfrom `angle clips 20 upon the'channel irons 18.'` The lower'eXt-remities of the stripsf19 l area'ttached to angle'brackets 21fsecured 10o' Fig.- 1 is4 a side elevation of a preferredl upon the box 10. Thus the box 10 is free to swing longitudinally.

Longitudinal movement is imparted to the box 10 by means of a suitable vibrating mechanism 22 which is connected to the box 10 by a connecting beam 23. The vibrating mechanism, per se, forms no part of the present invention, and might be any of the usual types of mechanical or electrical vibrators employed in the ore dressing art for vibrating concentratingjables, jigs, screens, etc. It should be of the type known as the quick return so that it will move the box 10 relatively slowly toward the right or discharge end and then jerk or vsnap it back toward the feed end.

A constant down draft of air is maintained through the intervening spaces between the grate bars 12 by means of a suitable exhaust fan 24, which is connected through a fioxible coupling 25 to a boot 26 which opens to the box 10 below the grate bars 12. The fumes are discharged from the, exhaust fan 24 through a suitable stack 45.

Material is fed to the machine fromany suitable continuous feeder through a chute 27 which discharges into a. feed hopper 28 immediately above the grate bars at their highest point. It can be readily seen that this material owing to the constant longitudinal.

vibration of the box 10 will uniformly travel across the series of grate bars and discharge from a discharge outlet 29 at thel opposite extremity of the machine.

The material is immediately ignited after reaching the machine by means of' an igniter 30. The igniter 30 is supportedl from threaded rods 3.1 extending from any suitable supporting frame 32. rlhe rods 31 are pro-V vided with nuts 33, one of which may be rotated by means of a hand wheel 34. The two nuts 33 are caused to rotate in unison by a connecting chain 35. Thus, when the hand wheel 34 is rotated the igniter is raisedY or lowered. It is preferred to carry the feed hopper from the igniter 30 so that it will raise or lower therewith.

Theigniter is preferably designed toburn fuel oil but is adaptable to other fuels. In the installation illustrated the fuel-oil is fed from a suitable reservoir 36 from which it feeds through a flexible conduit 37 and a burner valve' 38 to a discharge nozzle47. TheV nozzle 47 is positioned within a burner 46 towhich air is supplied by a blower 39.. The

interior yconstruction of the igniter 30 is shownrmorel in detail in Fig; 3. The blaze from the burner 46 is projected into a flame compartment 40 in to which a series ofdiagonall-y-placed, iiame baffles 41 project. Each of thebaflies 41 serve to turnv or direct a portion of the flame side-ward and downward toward a discharge orifice 42, which ext-ends throughout the entire length of the bottom of the igniter 30 and the entire width of the box 10. The interior of the igniter is protected by a suitable refractory lining 43 of lire clay or similar material.

Operation The vibrator 22, the exhaust fan 24, and the igniter 30 are started. The ore or other material to be sintered is fed to the feedl hopper 28. The operator adjusts the hand Wheel 34 to bring the feed. hopper to the desired height to spread the thickness of bed desired. The longitudinal motion of the box 10 causes the fed material to travel away from the feed. hopper 2S under the iame from the igniter 36, which completely ignites the material at this point. The material continues to advance and the combustion is maintained therein by the down blast of air through the bed and between the gratos. As the boxlO swings toward the discharge endthe bed will be advanced and will remain in the advanced position while the. box 10 is jerked back to the starting position. It will again move forward onthe next strokev ofthe vibrator 22. Thus thev bed continuously advances by a series of intermittent movements the length andV intensityof which may be controlled by adjustment of the vibrator 22. The combustion or oxidationA will' be completed .and the sinter cake formed before the bed reaches the discharge. openingk 29, from which the sinter cakewill be constantly` discharged into any suitable receiving ap paratus. Y

The exceedingly line material andz dust which falls or is drawn between the `grates by the draft, collects on the bottom of the box 10 and is continuously collected and advancedtoward the dust hopper 115 by the reciproca'- tory action of the box 10. ThisY dust may be collected at intervals by openingl the gate 16 and returned to the -feed chute for retreatment. i

It is desired to call particu-liar attention to the novel arrangement and action of gratebars 12.. 'llheibars` 12, by being stepped slightly downward toward the-discharge, act analo` gously to a ratchet upon the bed and sinterl calze.V That is, they present projecting edges which prevent movement of the bed toward` the feed end .and which serve topush or im'pel the bed toward the discharge end. The wedge shape of the bars 12 serves to prevent material from packing andi clogging between the bars. Y y

While the invention has been described as particularly applied to a sintering machine. it is desired to be understood that' it is, of course, not-limited to this use but will findA many other applications, such as roasting ores or heating ores for the recoveryof mer-v cury after amalgamation processes, etc.

While a 'specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it

is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims; without departing fromA the spirit of the invention. l

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is c l. A sintering machine comprising: a supporting structure; a relatively. long box; means for flexibly suspending said box from said supporting structure so thatv it may swing in a longitudinal direction; a vibrating mechanism operatively connected to said box so as to reciprocate it in a longitudinal direction; a series of grate-bars positioned in said box; means for feeding the material to be sintered onto said grate bars adjacent v one extremity of said box; there being a discharge opening for said material adjacenttlie other` extremity'of said box; and means forigniting said material adjacent said feeding means.

2. A sintering machine comprising; av supportingV structure; a relatively long box; vmeans for iiexibly suspending said box from said supportingstructure so that it may swing in a longitudinaly direction a vibrating mechanism operatively connected to said box so as to reciprocate it in a longitudinal direction; a series of grate bars positioned in said box; means for feeding the material-to be sintered ontofsaid grate bars adjacent one extremity of said box, there being a discharge opening for saidl materialadjacent the other extremity of said box; means for 'igniting said material adjacent saidfeedingmeans; and an exhaust fan openingy to said box below said grate bars so as to draw air downwardly through the material thereon and maintain combustion therein. c.

3. A sintering machine comprising: a supportingv structure; a relatively long box; means lfor flexibly suspending said box from said supporting structure so that it may vswing in a longitudinal direction; a vibrating mechanism operatively connected to saidbox so as to reciprocate it in a longitudinal direction; a series ofl grate bars positioned in said box: means for feeding the material to be sintered onto said gratebars adjacent one extremity of said box; there being a discharge opening for said material adjacent the other extremity of said box; means for igniting said material adjacent said feeding means; a receiving chamcharge extremity thereof; Vand means for disber in the bottom of said boxadj acent the discharging materialfrom said receiving chamber. j

4. In a sintering machine arranged to impart a traveling motion to a bed of material to be sintered, means for igniting said material adjacent its point of entrance to said bed comprising: an igniter'positioned laterally across said bed; a supporting structure; adjustable mounting means between said igniter and said structure so thatpthe height -of the former relative to said bed canjbe adjusted; f

and a y:feed hopper carried by said igniter so that vertical adjustmentof the latter will adjust jsaid hoppery vertically to thickness ofsaid bedlf i j Airigniter forl si-ntering determine thel y' machines coin-il 7 pris'ing a relatively long housing adaptedto gr extend lateraly acrossa'bed of material to be f ignited; a burnerjpositione'd i to., project a flame longitudinally/into said housing means for deflecting said flame through a longitudinal opening in' the bottom lof saidfhousing toward said bed, said means comprisingia.

positions throughout lits length.1k j

lseries of. diagonally placed baffles'arranged;` to project.; intoy said flamefat"spacedijapart sheet metal l:box grate supporting l'members-1 j extendingalong the sides-of said box;v 'a series 5y ofv laterally sp aced-apart'grate bars carriedg..

by said supportin fr kmembersvadj acent y the Y open top of said'V box; eachV of saidbars'being- Y positioned slightlyv lower than its vpreceding ,bar so that. said series willfform a Steppe ldne Supporting means for said box adapted to allow longitudinal f movement thereof; means for imparting opposite longitudinal movements suchthat material on said grate'bars will be intermittently advanceddown rsaid steppediiicline.

7. A sintering machine'comprising: an open-topped, sheet metal box; grate supporting members extending alongthe sides of said y box;'a series of laterally-positioned, spacedapart, grate bars carried by saidsupporting members adjacent the open top of said box, each of said bars being positoned slightly lower than its precedingbar so that said ing means for said box adapted to allow longitudinal movement thereof; means for imvseries will forma stepped incline; support intermittently vadvanced down said stepped incline;rand a feed hopper arranged to feed material onto said grate bars adjacent thelil-0 highest point of said incline;and meansfor raising or lowering said feed hopper so as to determine the thickness of a bed of material on said bars. j

8. A sintering machineV open-topped, sheet metal box; grate supportsaid box; a series of laterally-positioned,

V-ing members extending along thesidesof iai said box, each of said bars being'positioned slightly lower than its preceding bar.Y sothat saidV series willl form a stepped incline support-ing means'for said box adapted to allow longitudinal movement thereof; means for imparting a longitudinal movement torqsai'd box so that material on said grate bars willy be intermittently advanced down said stepped incline;`a feed hopper arranged to feed ma-v l terial onto said grate bars adjacent the highcomprising an lit-5 est point of said incline ;V means for rais-ing or lowering said feed hopper so as to determinel the; thickness of a bed of material on said bars; and an igniting deviceV extending laterally' across: said boxabove said bars-so as to project a: flame upon the material leaving said; feed hopper; and means for exhausting the air-from said box below said grate bars so: as", tomaintain; combustion in said ignited 15T' material.

9L Asintering machine comprising: a longitudinal series of laterally positioned, Spaeedeapart grate bars, each of said bars being'positioned slightly lower than its pre- 153 ceding Vloar sontliat said series Will form a stepped incline; supporting; means for said series adapted to allow longitudinal movement thereof; means for imparting opposite longitudinal movements such that material on said grate bars Will be intermittently advaneed down said stepped incline.

Intestimony'wliereof, I aiiX my signature.

WILLIAM C. KINNON.

ist 

